Concerning Age
by Harrison Orion Black
Summary: Pippin has questions over the differences of aging between races.


**Concerning Age**

 **Disclaimer: I am not Tolkien. This is for fun and practice.**

~ o0o ~

The Fellowship had been traveling a little over a week, and while the journey had been tiresome they had encountered little trouble, of which they were thankful for. Even so they dared not let their guard down, the more battle-worn of them staying ever watchful for threats. The journey hardly winded the Ranger, who was used to wandering the wild, or the Elf, who's own endurance could be attributed to his race and his experiences. Boromir and Gimli were doing well with the journey, but they were unused to walking such long distances with little rest: nonetheless they continued on. The Hobbits , however, were the ones who were suffering the most with the punishing pace. They were peaceful people and rarely did they walk so far, or with so few breaks. They said nothing of their tiredness – though the others could see it well – unwilling to slow the Company down. Their legs ached, every step the taller men took the hobbits had to take twice that, and by nightfall they were all but ready to collapse.

When it was at last time to rest the hobbits could have wept in gratitude when their feet were finally allowed rest. Packs were discarded as the four sat together, while the remaining five watched in amused concern before they turned towards their tasks for the night. Legolas vanished into the trees as bed rolls were laid out in a wide circle, only to return with his catch of two brown rabbits, which the hobbits eagerly accepted.

Busying themselves with preparing the rabbit, Sam skinning it as Merry and Pippin went in search for the right spices and pot. Frodo himself helped his servant, waving away the gardener's protests until he accepted the help. The four worked in quiet chatter, snippets of their conversation drifting in the small amount of wind.

" _Let's add mushrooms!"_

" _What about my taters?"_

" _No potatoes this time, we've had it for the past week! I'm quite done with them now."_

" _I'll have you know that tatters are good in anything!"_

" _Now, now, there's no need to argue."_

The rest of the conversation was lost to them, except from Legolas and Gandalf who could only grin silently at the hobbits' antics. Conversation was scarce during their dinner, or was it supper?, their attentions on their meal for they knew that they could be interrupted at any given moment from hostiles. The taller of the Fellowship were well used to this having been warriors for many years, while the hobbits themselves were so ravenous they only focused on their supper – or was it dinner? – and even when they finished the group stayed in silence.

It was after their dinnerware was washed that Pippin decided to sate his curiosity after having wondered since Rivendell. He, of course, would have asked there if only there had not been so many new wonders and places to explore which often derailed his thoughts in favor of something new he had discovered. Now, on the road as he was with nothing of overt interest, there was no such things to distract him from his curiosity. There were no library around with books and scrolls that could tell him the information he sought.

 _But that was alright,_ thought Pippin, _There is at least one of every race here that could tell him instead._

With Tookish reasoning he abruptly voiced his question.

"When do you come of age?"

Heads swiveled from their previous direction to look at Pippin, not a few looking puzzled while a small few looking amused.

"Are you asking some one specific Pip or were you asking us as a whole?"

The tweenager flushed slightly at his cousin's words but he answered all the same

"I was asking everyone actually, I was curious about how different races aged. I kept forgetting to ask in Rivendell, but since there's nothing interesting happening I remembered this time. I recall Old Bilbo telling us how the dwarves he traveled with were almost all older than a hundred yet looked no older than he at the time. It led me to wonder if dwarves matured as hobbits did, which then led me to think of Elven and Men aging. Though it is odd to think that Elves were ever children, especially as Lord Elrond said that he, himself, was seven-thousand years old. So then, when did you all come of age in the eyes of your people?"

Silence reigned over the group as they regarded their youngest, before the bigger folk shared glances with each other. A whole conversation seemed to take place between the taller five before they came to a decision. Aragon turned his grey eyes to Pippin and answered him, "Men are considered of age once they hit their eighteenth year, then they are considered young adults. In some regions they have traditions that show the youth coming of age. In Rohan they are tasked with catching and taming a wild horse, doing so signifies that they are ready for adulthood, that same horse will be with them faithfully until they are forced apart."

Pippin – as well as the others – intently listened to the Ranger who's voice seemed to compel them to listen to him. A silence descended in the wake of his words, none seemed to want to be the first to speak.

"So you must be in your thirtieth or fortieth years, at least I believe so from studying your face." Guessed the young hobbit, who was even still looking at the Man's face intently.

Legolas looked amused, the faintest of curves upon his lips as he stared at his friend, " _Indeed Estel, your youthful looks have stayed even in your old age."_

Aragorn could only grin at the Elven Prince, " _If I am old, then you must truly be ancient mellon-nin."_

The others only stared at the two, having spoken so fast that not even Frodo understood them. Gandalf only huffed softly with amusement, his blue eyes shining with mirth as he corrected the Took.

"You must remember that not every thing is as you perceive them to be Peregrin Took. Your friend Aragorn is well past those years, he is in actuality eighty and seven years. As a Dunedain, they have a small amount of Elven blood, they live twice as long as regular Men."

Only the hobbits seemed to find it a surprise, the others having had dealings with the Rangers and already knowing of their aging. Legolas knew that eighty-seven years was considered quite old for one of the race of Men, but it was still odd to him as the same years was considered very, very young. He said nothing of it, as to the mortal races Aragorn looked youthful for one of his age considering he was mortal.

"What of you Boromir? Are you also older than you appear?" questioned an interested Merry. It was rather hard for any hobbit to guess the age of the taller races with their small feet and their constantly growing height.

The Man of Gondor looked a tad surprised, his eyes betraying him despite his blank face.

"I do not know how old you may think me to be, so I cannot say how I appear to you. However I am forty-one, a little less than half Aragorn's age."

Frodo stared at the other in surprise his large eyes widening even further in surprised realization."

"That means Cousin Frodo is older than you!"

He had not been the only hobbit to come to the same conclusion, Pippin was very good numbers having been one of the only things he enjoyed learning in preparation of one day becoming Thrain.

Startled, Boromir looked at the Shire-folk closely eyes assessing them closely with him lingering a tad more on the Baggins.

"He hardly looks to be out of his adolescent years, never mind being my elder in age! How old are all you in any case? I do not believe I have managed the to learn them."

"That is because you never asked for them.," remarked Merry but answered all the same, "Frodo is the eldest of us at fifty years, not of any significant age to us though most would already have settled down. Sam is next at forty years, still at prime marrying age." A nudge to the gardener, who blushed a rather brilliant shade of red, "I, myself, am thirty-six years while Pippin here is twenty-eight years."

None said any thing, though only Boromir looked flummoxed at the hobbits' ages, he likely assumed they were younger based on their manner and appearance.

Legolas not disturbed in the least, looked at Mithrandir in askance, " Did Bilbo not say that _periannath_ reached their majority on their thirty-third year?"

The wizard in turn only stared momentarily at the young Prince with raised brows, surprised that the Elf knew even that of hobbits*.

"Tis indeed true that they reach their majority at that age. I had not thought it would catch your attention so."

A beatific smile graced the Elf's face, seeming to brighten the very air around them and for the moment they basked in the peace able to forget the dangerous mission they had undertaken.

"I have had the pleasure of calling Bilbo Baggins _Mellon_ for the past few years now, and I am always glad to learn more of him and his people." Was the answer to Gandalf's unasked question.

For a moment they stared for this was the longest that any, save the Wizard and Ranger, had heard the Elf willingly speak. He seemed to be a creature of silence, only really conversing with Aragorn or Gandalf, occasionally he'd speak to the others or he'd sing to them otherwise he was so silent they would startle at his sudden appearance only to realize he had been there the entire time. Not to say that Legolas was unfriendly, he was actually a very merry person even when every one else was in horrid moods. They had become fond of him, in their own ways, just as they found themselves becoming fond of their other companions. They had all come to regard the others as friends, been with tension building between different individuals. It was odd, they had become friends in this situation and it wad only because of their current task that they ever met at all.

"Pippin is still in his tweenager years, this years where we hobbits let out our 'wild and reckless' energy loose before we are expected to settle down, marry and have many children." Frodo had a smile of reminisce on his face, eyes hazy with memories

Merry, on the other hand, snorted lips upturned, "Our dear Frodo was a right terror during _his_ tweenager years. He'd sneak into Farmer Maggot's mushroom field, lure poor Sam on 'adventures', and making a right nuisance of himself."

Frodo looked insulted at the accusations, " Why Merry, lad, I do believe you are mistaking us once again. I was a perfectly respectable gentle-hobbit during my tweenager years, _you_ were the wild one."

"That does not at all sound like Cousin Frodo, I think he's right Merry. Except about the 'respectable hobbit' but, everyone knows Old Bilbo passed his oddness onto Frodo."

Pippin was quick to defend his older friend for he was far apart in age from Frodo – twenty two years in fact – and had no memories of a tween Frodo. As far as he was aware his older Cousin had always been nothing but polite and kind.

Merry on the other hand was fourteen years apart from Frodo and remembered quite well the trouble he had gotten into. There were none but one other person who could confirm it, as such he turned towards the silent Gamgee.

"Sam will agree with me, _he_ should remember all those times an 'adventure' went wrong with Frodo."

The amused eyes of the Big Folk turned towards the stocky hobbit, who looked quite trapped. Panic was clear on his face as his brown orbs skittered from one person to another, searching desperately for help.

Frodo seeing his dear friend's distress, sought something to relive him of the attention Sam had unintentionally gained. Large blue eyes landed on a stout figure – and remembering the question that had brought this all about – and he knew he had found a suitable distraction.

"Leave poor Sam alone Meriadoc Brandybuck, he need not answer if he does not wish to. Besides that, we have strayed from Pippin's original inquiry, so Master Gimli when do Dwarves reach their majority?"

Samwise was only too thankful for his Master's intervention, that they could all see whether it was because he would have lied or not, none knew. It was perhaps this that lead the normally secretive Dwarf to provide an answer.

"We age slower than most, certainly slower than Men – and Hobbits it seems – but not as slowly as Elves. Our bodies reach their majority at forty years of age, yet we ourselves are not considered of age until our sixty-sixth year of life."

His companions listened to his words intently, for the Dwarves were a secretive bunch and their knowledge was kept closely. Even now the way of Dwarves was kept hidden, their ways and their language secret from all but themselves, the only exceptions seemed to be the Wise Istari. Even as this information seemed to be so little, they all knew that they were being trusted and they swore to themselves to never repeat it for others ears.

"Are you younger or older than Aragorn then?" Pippin was staring at both Man and Dwarf intently, unfortunately for him the two races looked _vastly_ different and he couldn't quiet see Gimli's face beneath his beard and helmet.

Gimli looked amused, his ginger beard twitching with his effort of hiding his mirth. If their need for silence was not so imperative his booming laughter would have echoed around them, instead all that escaped were rough chuckles. Dark eyes were alight with amusement as faint lines creased the sides of his eyes.

"I am very much that lad's elder, but I do not fault you for being unable to tell. We dwarves do not age as Men do, our hair does not thin and our bodies do not start growing old into well into our later years. Before you think to ask Master Peregrin, I am one-hundred and thirty-nine years."

Pippin could only grin unabashedly at the Dwarf, who in turn snorted and ruffled the almost-golden curls. They had all gotten used to Pippin's innate curiosity and had come to indulge him when he questioned them on some thing or another.

"Does that make you old or young in Dwarven terms then? It's a challenge to tell with different races, especially as hobbits do not growing facial hair, it rather obscures your face."

Gandalf answered, for he could see Gimli's unsure eyes, the Dwarf had little experience with other races his closest encounter with any outside his own being the Dale Men.

"You and your questions Peregrin, I have never met another hobbit as curious as you. Never lose it, your curiosity of the world is refreshing and a welcome break from weary souls. Back to your question on Master Gimli's age, now let me think, as he is one hundred and thirty-nine, he is equivalent to a thirty-seven year old Man, still young for a Dwarf."

Pippin stared at the Dwarf for a moment, seeming to contemplate something. Merry however was unimpressed with it all, and though he could have easily turned away from the conversation to sleep; he found himself interested. After all it was not everyday one was given information from the sources themselves, and he would not allow himself to lose this opportunity. Seeing that none looked willing to continue without promoting, he acted as his younger cousin seemed to be lost in his mind.

" What of the Elves? How do they age in comparison to Men, Dwarves, and Hobbits? How old are _you_?"

At once their attentions were turned toward the sole elf, their interest clear. Little was truly known of elven aging and it was impossible to tell the exact age of Elves as only their eyes would give away how long they had lived, even then not many could stare long into their orbs.

Legolas looked amused, his green eyes twinkling in humour, " I shall never understand this fascination with knowing the ages of Elves, but I shall indulge you if that is your wish. Elf children age slowly by your reckoning, an elf of only twenty would look a child to you still. Our minds mature faster than any of the mortal races, we can walk, talk and sing in our first year of life. Even so after that our aging slows significantly until we reach one-hundred at which point we are considered fully grown."

The mortals stared at him intently, all were curious of his age as he _looked_ rather young and could act like a youth, but they knew that meant nothing to Elves. Many had asked the Elf – mostly the two younger hobbits – and they all hoped he would eventually answer one of them, especially Aragorn as he had been asking since he had been a boy and he still had no answer. Gandalf, of course, knew the answer but had never divulged the knowledge to any of the Fellowship this time however he encouraged the Sinda.

" _Go on Greenleaf, you may as well answer before one of them questions you for it."_

With his usual air the Prince grinned at the Istari, who only raised a brow at the younger, before he relented.

"Very well, I am Seven-hundred and ninety-eight years old. I am considered quite young to my people."

Aragorn stared at his friend, while the others only stared uncomprehendly at the youthful face of Legolas, _"You are not even in your first millennium?! I have been lead to believe you were much older than that!"_

Legolas could only laugh, the soft chiming seeming to bring Pippin out of his thoughts at last, _"That is no fault of mine mellon-nin, I never said much of my age. You drew your own conclusions when you could have always just asked the twins or Arwen. They've known me since I was an elfling, but you must always take the difficult way when it would be easier to ask for help."_

The Ranger was left sputtering at his friend when Pippin stopped it with a different question.

"How old are _you_ then Gandalf?"

Everything seemed to stop, as eight pair of eyes turned toward the Grey Pilgrim their gazes searing.

The wise wizard could only quirk his lips, truly he hadn't seen the group this easy since they had left Rivendell and decided to humour them before they had to rest for the day.

"I have been alive for far longer than many elves and for many seasons. I have seen acorns grow into tall trees until they passed and the cycle continued anew, I could not tell you exactly how long I have lived Peregrin for even I have forgotten the exact number."

A stillness seemed to come from his words, and it seemed to them that the very Earth had stopped in time. None could bring themselves to speak, and they stayed as they were for many moments and they could not tell you for how long they stayed thus.

"So you are saying you are so old you have forgotten your age?"

Utter surprise littered the faces around the Took, amusement was clear in most except of course the aforementioned wizard.

"Peregrin Took!"

"What? That was what Gandalf was saying! Stop pulling my ear! Alright, Alright! Sorry for calling you ancient Gandalf, even though you are. Ow! Merry help me get Frodo off!"

~ o0o ~

 **Word Count: 3,311**

 ***not meant to be offensive to Legolas, it's just that Gandalf didn't expect anyone to know anything about hobbits as no one knows much about them**

 **This is my first one-shot and I figured that I'd post it on my birthday. Tell me what you thought and hopefully I didn't write them too out of character. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!**


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